American Standard Town Square S 2.5 gpm/9.5 L/min Tub and Shower Trim Kit With Single Function Showerhead, Double Ceramic Pressure Balance Cartridge With Lever Handle - AMS-TU455502

No. TU455502 is a trim kit: the lever handle, escutcheon, tub spout and single function showerhead, plus the double ceramic pressure balance cartridge. You still need a compatible American Standard rough-in valve body in the wall to complete the job, so order that separately if the wall is open or the old valve body is being replaced.

That is what the ceramic balancing spool in the cartridge is for. It holds output temperature steady when relative hot and cold supply pressures change, which is the flush-and-scald problem in multi-family and hotel risers. The ceramic material is also unaffected by mineral deposits and hard water, so it holds up in buildings with aggressive water.

Yes. The Town Square S valve has back-to-back capability, so hot and cold can be reversed quickly without re-piping. Useful on back-to-back bathroom stacks and on retrofits where you find the supplies crossed after the tile is up.

Yes. The cartridge has an adjustable hot limit safety stop that caps how much hot water can mix with cold, set at installation to reduce scald risk. There is also a Comfort Zone feature that widens the usable handle range so a tenant can fine tune temperature inside that limited band instead of fighting a narrow sweet spot.

The single function showerhead is rated 2.5 gpm (9.5 L/min). That is the standard US maximum for a showerhead, so if your project spec or local code calls for a 2.0 or 1.8 gpm head for water conservation credits, this kit as supplied will not meet it without swapping the head.

Three: Chrome (TU455502.002), Polished Nickel (TU455502.013) and Brushed Nickel (TU455502.295). If you are standardizing a floor of units, the suffix after the decimal is the finish code, so it stays consistent across other Town Square S pieces you order.

It is a one-piece cartridge, so service means pulling and replacing a single part rather than the valve body. The ceramic disc mixing valve is what gives the drip-free seal and smooth handle feel, and it is the same cartridge across the trim kit, which keeps a maintenance shop to one spare part number for these openings.

No separate check valves are needed at the valve. Integrated check valves are built in to eliminate cross flow between the hot and cold supplies, which is what causes hot water backfeeding into the cold line and lukewarm cold water at nearby fixtures.

It is a tub and shower trim kit, so it is configured for a bathtub with a shower above, not a stall shower. The handle is a single lever, and the head is single function (one spray pattern, no massage or pause settings). If you are trimming a shower stall with no tub, this is not the right kit.